Despite what some web developers insist responsive design remains far more important than "features" nobody asked for.

This infographic shows that online shoppers continue to place a high priority on responsive design (websites that look good on mobile devices like phones and tablets). Responsive design can make or break an e-commerce website – if a site doesn't work well on a mobile device online consumers will abandon it and go elsewhere.

But too many developers continue to insist this is not the case, instead trying to promote features that online consumers did not ask for and don't care about. The priorities in e-commerce website design are not what the site developer insists, but what the research shows about your online customers.

There is a tradition in advertising of admitting a negative to establish credibility before making a claim. Could the retail floral industry learn from that?

The example below is commonly referenced:

Most people would agree that this stuff tastes bad. And taste is subjective. You can't tell someone they are wrong about how something tastes.

So Buckley's doesn't even try. They could, they could argue that given the nature of the essential medicinal ingredients vital to the mixture it tastes as good as could possibly be expected (so don't complain!) but they know that would be a waste of time.

Instead they own it. They admit to what the consumer already believes to be true – that the stuff tastes horrible. And in doing so they establish authority.

Which they then use to make their most compelling pitch, that the product is effective, that much more credible.

What if anything can the floral industry learn from this?

Too often in the flower business we want to argue subjective opinions. There are some consumers that feel flowers "don't last". This is of course true, flowers don't last forever and there is no point arguing that ever.

Whether they last long enough is a different matter. That is an opinion, and opinions vary. Inside the business we marvel at the advances that have been made and how long flowers do last. None of that matters to the customer who feels it isn't long enough.

Would it better to just own, and use to our advantage, opinions that we can't hope to change? This post looks how florists might benefit from admitting to a negative to establish credibility.